[NA] Keep getting calls for someone else

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Pre-takeoff checklist
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Jul 4, 2012
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496
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Ames, IA
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david
I think someone is forwarding their number to my cell. Is this a thing? And how do I stop it?

I've had the same cell number for years. A month or two ago my phone started getting random wrong number calls. I didn't think anything of it, then I started getting voice mails that didn't make sense. Eventually it became clear that they are all for the same person. I've gotten calls from his doctor, his debt collector, people returning missed calls, etc...
As far as I can tell, they aren't actually dialling my number.

It's very annoying... how do I fix this?
 
I've gotten calls from his doctor
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"I'm sorry, that person has died from the condition you are treating. As his beneficiary, I will require contact information of your malpractice insurer and attorney." Or, make a million appointments and of course, no one will ever show.

his debt collector,
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"I accept my responsibility in this manner. Unfortunately I do not have the cash but would like to offer you the opportunity to confiscate for sale all my motorized vehicles, my house, you have my permission to garnish my wages to any extent necessary, and I authorize full access to any bank account or investment or securities I own"
people returning missed calls,
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If it sounds like a girlfriend or wife, all sorts of fun can be had with that. Best friends, I can imagine some weaknesses there too.
Just make it so unpleasant that he is motivated to fix the problem.
My cell rejects anonymous calls and blocks ones I want, perhaps yours is the same?
 
I had something similar. I got a new phone number when I switched jobs and no longer had a work phone. For the first 5 or so years that I had the phone number I would get calls and text messages for a girl named Anna. I could understand the occasional calls from doctors or other people who might not have her new phone number but what I always found odd were the text messages from her friends. The messages always implied that she had just talked to the texter earlier that day and they were planning to go out that night. You would think you'd want your friends to know how to contact you, so I never could figure out why they continued to text me on and off for close to 5 years. I enjoyed toying with the people who called or texted so I never did anything about switching my phone number or blocking their phone calls.

As far as your dilemma goes, are the phone calls all coming from the same phone numbers? I think some cell phones have the ability to block certain telephone numbers now so that might be an option for you.
 
I have a similar situation. My cell shares the same phone number with a gravel company in the adjacent area code. The gravel company is right on the border between my area code and their area code. I was getting calls all the time of folks asking how much my gravel cost.

My solution was to pay for a call blocker app for my android. It can block anything from individual numbers to entire area codes to wildcards.
 
Ask one of them what number they dialed. If it's yours, then the person probably gave out some random number to avoid being bothered by these people. That seems unlikely if his doctor is one of those who is calling.

More likely, the person accidentally transposed a few digits, and then saved the incorrect number as a conditional forwarding number (forward on "no-answer" and/or "busy") and doesn't even realize it's happening. If that's the case, just call that number until you get through, or ask one of the callers if they have an alternate contact method for the individual.

Rich
 
I probably should have mentioned that blocking numbers isn't an option.

I use this phone for business and blocking unknown numbers isn't good for business.

Can't block the doctor because he uses the same doctor's office that I do, so I'd be blocking legitimate calls too. They called 7 times last week for him. After I told them they had the wrong number twice, I gave serious thought to telling them he died from some medical condition. I decided I probably shouldn't do that.

Oddly, the debt collectors haven't been a problem once they finally got through to me. They were leaving messages because I kept missing their calls. But as soon as they called when I was able to pick up, that problem went away. I've never dealt with a debt collector. I always heard they were relentless but the conversation essentially went:
them: "Is Jeff there?"
me: "may I ask who's calling?"
them: "This is Bill Smith" (no mention of being a debt collector, but I knew from the number who it was)
me: "This isn't Jeff's number."
them: "Do you know him?"
me: "Nope."
them: "Ok. Thanks." *click*
Haven't heard from them since.
The doctor's office was far more relentless than the debt collector.
 
\__[Ô]__/ said:
I probably should have mentioned that blocking numbers isn't an option.
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Actually it may be an option. If you can get one of the callers to tell you the number they dialed try blocking that number. I have my business line remote call forwarding to my cell and the phone is smart enough to know when it is a forwarded call...that may block the forwarding calls by blocking the origin number.
 
\__[Ô]__/ said:
I probably should have mentioned that blocking numbers isn't an option.

I use this phone for business and blocking unknown numbers isn't good for business.

Can't block the doctor because he uses the same doctor's office that I do, so I'd be blocking legitimate calls too. They called 7 times last week for him. After I told them they had the wrong number twice, I gave serious thought to telling them he died from some medical condition. I decided I probably shouldn't do that.

Oddly, the debt collectors haven't been a problem once they finally got through to me. They were leaving messages because I kept missing their calls. But as soon as they called when I was able to pick up, that problem went away. I've never dealt with a debt collector. I always heard they were relentless but the conversation essentially went:
them: "Is Jeff there?"
me: "may I ask who's calling?"
them: "This is Bill Smith" (no mention of being a debt collector, but I knew from the number who it was)
me: "This isn't Jeff's number."
them: "Do you know him?"
me: "Nope."
them: "Ok. Thanks." *click*
Haven't heard from them since.
The doctor's office was far more relentless than the debt collector.
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This reminds me of a phone prank we used to play when I was a kid. It was a group prank that would involve many people over several weeks. The way it worked was that we'd pick some random number and repeatedly call it asking for some person. Usually we used "Stanley." Why? No idea. We just did.

We'd have different people calling, at all hours of the day and night, asking for Stanley; and we'd keep it up for several weeks. After the victim started getting so infuriated that they were ready to pull their phone out of the wall, we'd lay off for a couple of days. Then we'd get together and have someone call the number and say, "Hi. This is Stanley. Any messages?"

. . .

It seemed pretty funny when I was 10.

Rich
 
RJM62 said:
More likely, the person accidentally transposed a few digits, and then saved the incorrect number as a conditional forwarding number (forward on "no-answer" and/or "busy") and doesn't even realize it's happening. If that's the case, just call that number until you get through, or ask one of the callers if they have an alternate contact method for the individual.
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Shawn said:
Actually it may be an option. If you can get one of the callers to tell you the number they dialed try blocking that number. I have my business line remote call forwarding to my cell and the phone is smart enough to know when it is a forwarded call...that may block the forwarding calls by blocking the origin number.
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Great ideas, thanks guys!
 
My folks used to get a call from a bank looking for some guy. The bank never could figure out that there was no "guy". Someone had given them a random phone number that happened to match my folk's. The bank would call, my folks would ask, "What number did you dial? ... Yeah, that's our number, but there is no "guy" here...No, I don't know when he'll be back, he doesn't live here...No, I don't know where he lives, I don't know who he is...Yes, I know that's the number he gave you...No, this isn't HIS number...No, I don't know his number..." This lasted for months.

Hilarious.

Best wrong number potential I had was when I got calls for the Texas Dep of Corrections a couple times a month. Same phone number, one digit off on the area code.
 
Matthew said:
Best wrong number potential I had was when I got calls for the Texas Dep of Corrections a couple times a month. Same phone number, one digit off on the area code.
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Back when 411 was a thing that you paid a $1 or so for before smartphones to look up a number and automatically connect you, I would get wrong call ALL day long on my business line. Our company name was Intuitive...and I would get at least three wrong calls a day for Intuit Software. I finally started asking where they got the number...they all had just dialed 411 and been connected.

It was at that time I realized what a scam the paid 411 service was, turns out when you punched in the first three letters I-N-T into their system we were the first business that popped up...and think about it back in the day...would you have bothered to call back and demand a refund of your 411 connection fee? Happened so often I was convinced phone companies were making millions by intentionally giving wrong numbers banking on the poor suckers calling back again!

Thought about starting an Intuit Software training hotline.
 
You mentioned call forwarding. Normally, if a person is to fwd a call, they must first perform a test call, receive said call on the other phone, answer, listen to a magic number and then provide it to the fwding service as proof of ownership of given number.
So I wonder whether there is a fwding service out there that does not verify the destination number and you are just a victim of pi**-poor service.

The right way to fix it would be to go the length to find the person they're trying to reach and let him know that somebody f***ed up and you're getting his calls. It might take some effort but then again, it would be the right thing to do. For all you know, he might be too stupid to even know how to operate a dang cellphone.
The easiest thing to do would be what you're already doing, just telling the callers "wrong number, update your DB" and hanging up.

Good luck and hopefully you will get it resolved soon.
 
My office number is one digit different to the local Doctor's office. I generally get several calls a day meant for them. Had a voicemail this week from a nurse with all kinds of medical info on a patient including a request to call back because the patients condition was getting rapidly worse.

I've considered starting to give medical advice and set up appointments but hesitate because it might not reflect well on my company...
 
BigBadLou said:
So I wonder whether there is a fwding service out there that does not verify the destination number and you are just a victim of pi**-poor service.
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There is...it is called Remote Call Forwarding. That is how I have my business line set up. The number does not exist in any physical location and I just point it to whatever number I want be it a land line in my office or my cell when we are on the go. Has kept me form having to change my business line and fax line as I have moved from location to location over the years.
 
When I got my first cell phone, I started getting a call from an elderly sounding lady. I would answer, "Hello", and she would say, "Susan, is that you?" I would reply "no, I think you dialed the wrong number". She would say "I am so sorry" and I would hang up, and my cell phone would ring again, same lady, same conversation, over and over and over..... It was so bad I had to turn my cell phone off for a while.

My new cell phone has the ability to block individual numbers. I really like that.
 
BigBadLou said:
So I wonder whether there is a fwding service out there that does not verify the destination number and you are just a victim of pi**-poor service.
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Most VOIP services I've used don't require verification of the destination number. And if the number is only being forwarded on busy or no answer, chances are the user would never even bother to log in again once they set it up.

My "public" phone number is a Magic Jack number. For years, I just had an assortment of telco error recordings that I rotated ("The call you have made requires a coin deposit" was one of my favorites). But in the six months or so before I changed it, it had gotten so infested by telemarketers that it never stopped ringing. So I just forwarded all the calls to the worst of the telemarketers, a "Canadian" pharmacy (that was oddly staffed only by Indians) who kept calling to sell me Viagra. That kind of gave me the giggles: Two Indian telemarketers working for the same company trying to sell each other Viagra.

At no time did I have to verify the number. In fact, even back in the day of copper POTS lines, if I tried to forward a call and no one answered at the receiving number, I just had to immediately try again. It would "take" on the second attempt without even ringing the receiving number. That was with NYNEX. Other carriers may have been different.

Rich
 
I kept getting calls from someone looking for Carla. They never seemed to get my message that it was the wrong number. Finally in frustration one day I answered and he asked for Carla again.
I said, "Carla. Put some clothes on. It's your ex on the damn phone." Last call I got.
 
My office number is one digit different to the local Doctor's office. I generally get several calls a day meant for them.
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Our phone and fax are apparently very close to the medical office's. We get interesting calls weekly, regarding someone's rash or discharge and refusing to accept our exhortations that we cannot see them or make an appointment.
Also, have discovered that sometimes the only way to figure out what a fax is all about is to read well into the unpleasant intimate bits. :(
 
One of my numbers is an area code off of the Colorado Brain Injury hotline. Not kidding. Make all the jokes you like, and then think about how hard it might be to convince someone with a brain injury to call a different area code... Haha. It's comical sometimes, and sometimes sad.
 
I grew up with "Dial MTV" as my phone number...just not the 800.

Often, if we happened to have their song request on vynl, my brother would ask them to hold & go play iy for them.

One guy called, very angry, because his phone bill had our number on it frequently, and he thought his girlfriend was stepping out on him.
 
We have recently had some odd events. Caller ID reports the incoming phone number as my landline number that I am taking the call on, and it gives my name as the caller!!
 
creweite said:
We have recently had some odd events. Caller ID reports the incoming phone number as my landline number that I am taking the call on, and it gives my name as the caller!!
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Caller ID is ridiculously easy to spoof.

Some cellular carriers still use Caller ID as a method of access to your cellular voice mail, too.

It's really easy to spoof CID and access someone's voice mail on one of the carriers that's still doing it wrong.

I've used this knowledge to prank friends in telecom by changing their outgoing voice mail message and waiting to see how long until they notice.
 
denverpilot said:
Caller ID is ridiculously easy to spoof.
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Do tell, Nate.
I have tried for years to get ATT to change my outgoing ID to clients because I call them using a private line, then they store that number and call a year later in a panic about something and...no one answers that line, they need to be using the main number.
How to get my outgoing calls on the private line to display my main number?
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Do tell, Nate.
I have tried for years to get ATT to change my outgoing ID to clients because I call them using a private line, then they store that number and call a year later in a panic about something and...no one answers that line, they need to be using the main number.
How to get my outgoing calls on the private line to display my main number?
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Well you usually need a trunked service to do it easily (T1, usually works best with ISDN trunks) but some SIP providers let you set outbound CID and don't filter it to your assigned numbers, too.

In your case where you need to always show up as a specific number, I'd work my way over to a Google Voice number for all of those calls and make sure I was always calling out from GV also.

Or a similar number service where you could call out using that number with their App or a SIP trunk and use freebie PBX software like Asterisk to give myself a way to call a number and dial a passcode and allow myself to dial out via that SIP trunk.

The other piece of that is to move the "business" number to something that rings everything so it can be answered anywhere. GV can also do that piece.

I usually don't try to hard to hide numbers I'm calling from. I just make them all ring everywhere. It's easier. Office phone rings the cell, GV number rings everything. Cell only rings the cell though but it's usually where I am.

GV has other nice features like free transcription and email of voice mails (even as bad as the transcription is, I can usually get the gist).
 
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